Any Oceanis 38 owners here?
- Thread starter Schomer
- Start date
Beneteau 38
I have an Oceanis 41 that I purchased 2 years ago. Although I enjoy and appreciate quite a few things about the boat I do have some issues. I have had significantly more quality issues in the 2 years that I have owned the boat than I had in the entire 8 years of owning a Catalina 350. Would also have preferred twin rudders on a boat this this much beam carried so far aft since it definitely has a tendency to round up in the puffs as the boat heels and the rudder becomes less effective. Not sure I like the mainsheet (no traveller)setup either. Biggest complaint though is the quality (or lack thereof). Not sure I would ever buy another Beneteau or recommend it to others
I have an Oceanis 41 that I purchased 2 years ago. Although I enjoy and appreciate quite a few things about the boat I do have some issues. I have had significantly more quality issues in the 2 years that I have owned the boat than I had in the entire 8 years of owning a Catalina 350. Would also have preferred twin rudders on a boat this this much beam carried so far aft since it definitely has a tendency to round up in the puffs as the boat heels and the rudder becomes less effective. Not sure I like the mainsheet (no traveller)setup either. Biggest complaint though is the quality (or lack thereof). Not sure I would ever buy another Beneteau or recommend it to others
I bought an Oceanis 37 three years ago. The hull looks similar in dimension to the 38 except the hard chines and the 38's aft end appears a bit beamier (is that a word?). Unlike Drbob, my only quality issues were with a couple of components: the Simrad AP computer and the Xantrex charger died in the first couple years, but replaced quickly under warranty. I love the boat's sailing qualities compared to my previous Catalina 310. She's a competitive and comfortable cruising boat.
Coming from a Catalina 30, this is going to be a huge upgrade, in pretty much every area, getting an Oceanis 38. I went forward with my order this week. Can’t believe I bought a new boat, but I really liked the design of this boat, and I can’t find it on a used one right now, so what the heck… went for it. YOLO.
One thing I keep thinking about is the interior floor… My Catalina is all boat… I can pull a hose into the salon and spray it all out. In the Beneteau, it has all kinds of custom cut and fit boards lining the bottom… I’m not even sure what kind of wood it is… but it doesn’t look like the kind of thing that is okay getting wet - which seems odd for a boat.
This will be my first experience at using real electronics on a boat. All I have are the basic speed, and depth stuff on my Catalina. I think I can sail the Beneteau with my iPad. Ha!
One thing I keep thinking about is the interior floor… My Catalina is all boat… I can pull a hose into the salon and spray it all out. In the Beneteau, it has all kinds of custom cut and fit boards lining the bottom… I’m not even sure what kind of wood it is… but it doesn’t look like the kind of thing that is okay getting wet - which seems odd for a boat.
This will be my first experience at using real electronics on a boat. All I have are the basic speed, and depth stuff on my Catalina. I think I can sail the Beneteau with my iPad. Ha!
I'll say that the floor is a weak spot. Don't let any heavy objects fall on the floor panels, winch handles and the door handles which never stay put are bad (if you got the version without bulkheads that's one advantage! ;-). We also get some squeaking and warping which causes the floor panels to bang a bit when you walk on them. In some cases I had to get replacements ordered, in others I live with the bumps, some I fixed with some thin rubber/foam padding underneath the floor panels so they stay put. Don't get me wrong, not perfect but amazing bang for the buck, no regrets. Congrats!
Congrats Schomer. We got a new 37 last year and it's been very nice. You'll enjoy the electronics. As others have said don't let anything too heavy hit the floor; you can get replacement boards (and most any other spare parts) from Beneteau's extensive online spare parts catalog, but dropping something is not an inexpensive mistake.
DrCapnBob,
Sorry to hear that.
We have been debating between a Beneteau and Jeanneau DS. Hope one day our dreams can come true. We have enjoyed the Beneteau 321 very much and were hoping for another Beneteau. However, the aft cabin on the Jeanneau 41DS is very appealing.
Chris
Sorry to hear that.
We have been debating between a Beneteau and Jeanneau DS. Hope one day our dreams can come true. We have enjoyed the Beneteau 321 very much and were hoping for another Beneteau. However, the aft cabin on the Jeanneau 41DS is very appealing.
Chris
In the first year I owned my Oceanis 41...
- 2 x saildrive clutch failures, boat needed to be hauled out the first time
- Foldout transom port hinge broke, needed haul out for repair
- Never had a dry bilge, water kept flowing back through pump check valve
- kept having problem with the mast furling system
- raw water pump failed
Beneteau eventually took care of repairs and warranty coverage but this resulted in quite a bit of downtime and headaches. Also, it did not bode well for the future. I sold the boat since, now on a Jeanneau.
I have the same issue.... But, define 40'... mine is less then 40' when the feet are counted according to Lloyds Shipping Register!!! And the supporting documentation all says the same! Et Voila, my 41 is legal in a 40' berth!
Sorry to hear about your issues. You might already know this but in case - both are the same company and many Jeanneau models are built in Marion (they use to be all built in France) many of the parts, ie stantions are the same.
Having said that we've had 4 B boats over the past 30 years with no problems. Our current boat a 423 is one of the best they've designed and built
I've had my B41 for 2 1/2 years . Lots of small problems. Especially with the vacuflush head. Fixing to change it for an electric flush. However, have developed a new problem. The saildrive diaphragm seal has developed a leak. Not sure why but it will be very expensive and it's now out of warranty. I had less trouble with my 1972 Columbia 30.
Curious about the replacements to electric flush. What is the cost, what can be reused, the equipment you chose, the difficulty of the task, and ultimately your satisfaction. I've had the sailvac work perfectly for maybe 1/3rd of the time, the rest it was either leaking black water somewhere or more often leaking vacuum so you can never leave the pump on without it kicking in every hour at least. It flushes fine though.
A new 34 last spring
We took delivery of our brand new Oceanis 34 last April, and have had no major problems at all with the quality of the build, or any other 'factory' issues. The biggest problem that we has was with the B&G Zues MFD, which was eventually replaced with a new unit.
We moved from a Beneteau First 285 to the 34. It was a big step up for us as well, and we do not regret it! I thought that we would have to relearn everything that we knew about sailing on the bigger boat, but it was it was more a process of learning the details and adjusting our habits to properly suit the new layout and equipment.
We do absolutely love the increase in speed and the extra room below!
Edit: Enjoy! Have you taken delivery yet?
We took delivery of our brand new Oceanis 34 last April, and have had no major problems at all with the quality of the build, or any other 'factory' issues. The biggest problem that we has was with the B&G Zues MFD, which was eventually replaced with a new unit.
We moved from a Beneteau First 285 to the 34. It was a big step up for us as well, and we do not regret it! I thought that we would have to relearn everything that we knew about sailing on the bigger boat, but it was it was more a process of learning the details and adjusting our habits to properly suit the new layout and equipment.
We do absolutely love the increase in speed and the extra room below!
Edit: Enjoy! Have you taken delivery yet?